1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to mobile communications and to personal tokens carrying credentials for access to such mobile communications.
The invention relates in particular to smart cards and mobile phones associated therewith, but many other personal tokens may replace the smart card, such as USB tokens, mass memory cards, USB enabled SIMs. The invention relates in particular to mobile voice communication and to other types of mobile communications such as videoconference, mobile internet, mobile TV or mobile broadcasting.
2. Description of the Related Art
The personal tokens used for access to mobile communications are usually considered as representing the operator identity to the end-user. They contain the credentials for access to the network of the operator, and specific applications of the operator.
Moreover, the personal token is usually considered as a device that should be easily separated from the handset and plugged into another. Thanks to the personal token, the operator can keep a certain level of independence regarding the handset maker.
From the handset point of view, the smart card is a simple external container hosting credentials, performing basic cryptographic operations, and storing some user specific data such as phonebook entries. For a handset manufacturer, the SIM card is just another peripheral, performing tasks that he could easily do itself and would like to do itself for reducing the cost and complexity inherent to association of personal tokens with mobile devices.
The invention aims at proposing an alternate scheme to usual personal tokens which alternate scheme allows to keep the portability benefits of usual personal tokens and reduces the cost and complexity inherent to association of personal tokens with mobile devices.
This purpose is achieved by means of the invention as recited in the appended claims.